‘It’s The Most Beautiful Cyclical Experience’: Prides Divulge on New EP

Prides are back!

These Glaswegian synth-poppers have been doing their thing for some time now, landing a top 40 placement with their 2015 debut record The Way Back Up, performing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony and establishing themselves as some of the finest music makers to crop up in the 2010s. Now back with a new record (of sorts), A Mind Like The Tide is split into two separate releases with the first segment out as of Friday so the fun lasts twice as long.

In line with the release of A Mind Like The Tide Pt. 1, Prides’ songwriting-wunderkind Stewart Brock divulges on their latest release and just why it’s arriving in two separate halves.

It’s been over two years since your debut record – what’s been the highlight from those 24+ months?

We just powered down, unmoving until the music called for us. Well I did anyway. Callum decided to finish his degree. I worked on falling in love and breaking my heart, and all the other life experiences that inspire me to sit at the piano. 2015 was such a crazy year, I think we were both just happy to push the brakes a little, take in the view.

What’s the significance of releasing your sophomore record in two separate parts?

We wrote a lot over the course of 2 years, and really we felt like we were let loose to try whatever the hell we could think of. So we did! And we felt like it all deserved to be heard. There were songs that had the more electronic, digital sounds of the first record, some that had a more natural or guitar driven feel, some that pushed our 80’s influence a little more. And as we started to put it together as an album, it just naturally felt better to split it in two. We also thought, seeing as we have been away a little while, it might be a nice way to re-introduce ourselves.

There’s the age-old idea of difficult second albums… What were the major challenges and successes you found when creating record #2?

Both challenges and successes blossomed from the same thing. Experimentation. We knew we didn’t want to make the same record twice. We wanted to try new things, to push ourselves creatively, and of course sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. We get to see now which side of the divide everyone else thinks we landed on!

In what ways, if any, did the recording process of A Mind Like The Tide differ from The Way Back Up?

It didn’t really differ at all, we’re still very hands on, we like to be in control. I still recorded all the vocals alone in my bedroom. We still argued over a keyboard while downing copious amounts of coffee. We have a system, and it works for us.

What’s been some key inspiration behind the new material?

Honesty. It blew my mind how much people connected to our first record, and how much some of those songs resonated with people. When you’re out on the road having conversations with people, and knowing they felt the same thing you did, I realised it was a disservice for me to be embarrassed. I decided I wanted to be honest. As honest as possible. Even if it stung like hell. Because that’s what people feel, that’s what people connect with.

If you could give advice to yourself at the start of your career with Prides, what would it be?

Don’t eat so much KFC. And swap beer for wine sooner, you won’t regret it.

What’s the best thing about being in Prides?

I get to write songs. And those songs go into other peoples ears and rattle around. And those people tell me how those songs made them feel. That they helped them through something. That they matter. And I immediately want to write more songs. It’s the most beautiful cyclical experience, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

A Mind Like The Tide Pt. 1 is out now.

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